Slowly but surely, LSU QB Harris progressing

Starting quarterback Brandon Harris is taking strides for LSU through three games in 2015, writes TSD publisher Ben Love.

It's been clear to anyone blessed with the gift of sight that Heisman frontrunner Leonard Fournette is the primary catalyst behind the Tigers' 3-0 start to the 2015 season.

But his backfield battery mate, fellow sophomore Brandon Harris, is beginning to turn an important corner himself, even if the signal caller from Bossier City is doing it without as much fanfare or as many headlines.

And, truth be told, the development of Harris is likely to be much more important down the stretch this fall, when more talented, deeper defenses devise ways to force LSU to put the ball in the air to win.

The immediate positive, and a sizable upgrade over 2014, is the completion percentage. Yes, the throws have largely been short and near the line of scrimmage. But Harris is connecting on 61.7 percent of his attempts. A season ago Anthony Jennings consistently hovered around 48-50 percent.

The other thing that jumps out quickly is exactly what head coach Les Miles and coordinator Cam Cameron want -- no turnovers.

Harris has not thrown an interception through three games and 47 passing attempts, nor has he fumbled in any circumstance, be it while running with the football or in the pocket.

LSU's sophomore quarterback is also showing he can aid the offense with his legs. Harris gashed Auburn's porous defense for 66 yards, almost all of them in the first half, and ran in a nifty option keeper on the goal line. He also had 24 yards rushing in the right direction at Syracuse before sacks brought down his total rushing number.

One final plus: The deep ball started to reemerge in the Carrier Dome. Harris, whose receivers dropped at least four balls of his eight incompletions Saturday, connected with Travin Dural for a 51-yarder in crunch time, immediately followed by a goal-line fade to Malachi Dupre for six.

He would've struck for well over 200 yards passing on the day had Dural secured a first-half fade down the left sideline and John Diarse not let several balls go through his mittens late in the fray.

While Harris is trending in the right direction for LSU, almost under the radar (especially compared to Fournette), there is at least one area where he'll have to take significant strides judging off his latest performance.

His internal clock needs to go off much quicker when Harris is in the pocket.

Syracuse got to Harris twice, knocking him and LSU's offense back a combined 21 yards and causing at least one drive to stall. He's not sensing the rush from all sides yet, in particular his blind side, but there's always reason to believe a young quarterback will grow in this department with experience.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIt's been clear to anyone blessed with the gift of sight that Heisman frontrunner Leonard Fournette is the primary catalyst behind the Tigers' 3-0 start to the 2015 season.

\r\n\r\nBut his backfield battery mate, fellow sophomore Brandon Harris, is beginning to turn an important corner himself, even if the signal caller from Bossier City is doing it without as much fanfare or as many headlines.

\r\n\r\nAnd, truth be told, the development of Harris is likely to be much more important down the stretch this fall, when more talented, deeper defenses devise ways to force LSU to put the ball in the air to win.

\r\n\r\nThe immediate positive, and a sizable upgrade over 2014, is the completion percentage. Yes, the throws have largely been short and near the line of scrimmage. But Harris is connecting on 61.7 percent of his attempts. A season ago Anthony Jennings consistently hovered around 48-50 percent.

\r\n\r\nThe other thing that jumps out quickly is exactly what head coach Les Miles and coordinator Cam Cameron want -- no turnovers.

\r\n\r\nHarris has not thrown an interception through three games and 47 passing attempts, nor has he fumbled in any circumstance, be it while running with the football or in the pocket.

\r\n\r\nLSU's sophomore quarterback is also showing he can aid the offense with his legs. Harris gashed Auburn's porous defense for 66 yards, almost all of them in the first half, and ran in a nifty option keeper on the goal line. He also had 24 yards rushing in the right direction at Syracuse before sacks brought down his total rushing number.

\r\n\r\nOne final plus: The deep ball started to reemerge in the Carrier Dome. Harris, whose receivers dropped at least four balls of his eight incompletions Saturday, connected with Travin Dural for a 51-yarder in crunch time, immediately followed by a goal-line fade to Malachi Dupre for six.

\r\n\r\nHe would've struck for well over 200 yards passing on the day had Dural secured a first-half fade down the left sideline and John Diarse not let several balls go through his mittens late in the fray.

\r\n\r\nWhile Harris is trending in the right direction for LSU, almost under the radar (especially compared to Fournette), there is at least one area where he'll have to take significant strides judging off his latest performance.

\r\n\r\nHis internal clock needs to go off much quicker when Harris is in the pocket.

\r\n\r\nSyracuse got to Harris twice, knocking him and LSU's offense back a combined 21 yards and causing at least one drive to stall. He's not sensing the rush from all sides yet, in particular his blind side, but there's always reason to believe a young quarterback will grow in this department with experience.